Towel vending machines



March 3, 1959 v. MARSHALL TowEr. VENDING MACHINES 2 sheets-sheet 2 FiledApril l0, 1957 anim Manda/ A ORNE UnitedStates Patent'v O TOWEL VENDINGMACHINES i Vernon Marshall, Grand Prairie, Tex. Application April 10,1957, Serial No. 651,969

Y 2 claims. (cl. zzn-186) This invention is a n ovel cloth toweldispensingand vending machine, in which a stack of cloth towels iscarried Iby a transversely movable carriage within a machine, andmovable from a normal position over a discharge outlet adjacent thebottomrof the machine, at one side thereof, across the casing adjacentthe other side of the machine, the carriage having an ejectorbarvertically slidablymounted therein and provided with serrations on itsunder side normally engagingthe bres of the top towel in the stack,so'that when the carriage is shiftedv the top towel will be heldstationary until thc carriage moves from under the same, whereupon thetop same from `shifting with the carriage,

towel will drop into the discharge chute, the operation of the carriagebeing coin-controlled.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

l" will explain the invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate .one practical embodiment thereof, to enableothers familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and willsummarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novelcombinations .of parts, for which protection is desired.

ln said drawings;

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of my novel towel vending machine,showing the access door in normal closed position.

Fig. 2 Nis .a View similar,- tor Fig.I lybut showing the access dooropened.VU Y W Y W' j Fig. 3 is a -vertical transverse section through aportion Vof the machine, showing the carriage and its operatingmechanism. Y. Y 3. 1

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5, Fig, 3.

As shown, my novel cloth towel vending machine preferably comprises acasing of generallyrectangular shape, having a top 1, a bottom 2, sides3, and a back 4, the front of the casing for about half its width beingnormally closed by a plate 5, while in the lower portion of the front ofthe casing at the opposite side from plate 5 is a discharge opening 6for the vended towels. A curved deector plate 7 extends from the loweredge of opening 6 and fairs into the back 4 adjacent its lower end todeect the vended towels dropped from the stack towards the front ofopening 6.

Extending horizontally across the casing adjacent the front and backthereof are parallel tracks 8 and 9; and suspended from the top 1 of thecasing are similar tracks 10 and 11 receiving the wheels of atransversely movable carriage which supports a stack of cloth towels tobe vended.

'Ille open portion of the front of the casing is normally closed by adoor 12 which is hinged as at 13 to the side of the casing, the samecarrying a lock or latch 14 of any desired type to maintain the door 12normally closed.

The carriage preferably consists of a rectangular j 2,815,923 PatentedMar. 3, 1959y ICC 2 frame having top bars 15 andbottom bars 16 at eachside thereof, the bars 15-16 being connected at their ends by uprights17,--18 respectively. At the upper and lower corners of the carriage areWheels 19 adapted/to run in the tracks 8-9-10-7-11 respectively so as tosupport the carriage for horizontal lateral movement within the casingfrom a normal starting position positioned directly over they dischargeopening 6 to a retracted position behind the fixed front 5 of thecasing.

Within the casing, adjacent the side remote from the front plate 5, islixedly mounted a pair of spaced rods 20 upon which is slidably mounteda bracket 21 having. spaced tubular extensions22 which slidably engagethe rods 20, sok as to be vertically movable thereon. 21 carries ahorizontally disposed ejector bar 23 which may convenientlyrbe formed asa small angle iron,khav ing its inner end attached in any desired mannerto the bracket 21 and at its outer end curved upwardly as at 24, saidyejector 23 being adaptedto overlie the stack of cloth ktowels carriedby the carriage, and the outer end of the ejectorterminating of ejectorbar 23 adjacent the bracket 21 is serrated or toothed as at 25 for thepurpose ofv engaging the fibres of the top towel. in the stack andpreventing the so that after the carriage is shifted behind the frontplate S of the casing the said top' towel will drop by gravitydownwardly within the casing engaging the deilector 7 and will'come torest in a position so as to be readily accessible through the' opening 6in the front of the casing. In order to prevent thev said towel fromcoming to rest upon the lower 'track 8 which isy disposed adjacent thefront of the casing, aV suitable deector plate 26 is mountedupon theinner face of the door 12, and has its lower end'curved 'so as to extendinwardly substan-A 1f desneaga'partial door 27 (Fig. 2) may be pff.

videdcovermg about half the width of the carriage at thev frontlthereof, lsaid door 27 being hinged as at 2.8v to the verticalframemember 18 of the carriage and being normally held in closed position bymeans of pivotedrclips 29 at the upperrandh lower edges thereof,saiddoor being adapted to maintain. the stack of towels properly positionedwithin the carriage without toppling over.

The carriage is shifted laterally within the casing by means of acoin-actuated mechanism contained in a housing 30 on the front plate 5of the casing adjacent the inner edge thereof, said housing 30vhaving ac oin slot 31 and an operating lever 32, the coin-operated mechanismbeing such that when a coin of prop-er denomination is inserted into theslot 31 the lever 32 may be manually operated to shift the carriage andthereby vend the top towel of the stack for each successive operation ofthe lever 32.

As shown, the lever 32 is mounted upon a rod 33 extending through thefront 5 of the casing, and carrying on its inner end a chain sprocket 34or the like while in the top of the casing is journaled in any desiredmanner a shaft 35 carrying a chain sprocket 36, a chain 37 runningaround the sprockets 34 and 36. Fixedly mounted upon the shaft 35 is anarm 40 (Fig. 3), the outer end of which arm 40 carries a roller 41 whichis confined between the rear vertical carriage member 17 and a parallelmember 42 which has its upper end connected to the top of the carriageand its lower end connected to a transverse frame member 43 so that asthe 'arm 40 is swung on shaft 35 the roller 41 acting between the framemembers 17 and 42 will cause the carriage to be shifted adjacent theside of the` casing remote from the guide rods'20; The lower edgeyOperation `In operation, with the towels stackedl in the carriage andwith the ejector bar 23 overlying the'top'towel in the stack, when acoin is inserted in the slot 31 and the handle 32 manipulated, the chain37 will cause the arm 40 to swing from the full-line position shown inFig. 3 into the dot-and-dash line position shown in Fig. 3, causing thecarriage to be shifted from the full-line position shown in Fig. 3 tothe dot-and-dash line position, and the teeth or serrations 25 on thelower edge of the ejector bar 23 will hold the top towel from movementwith the carriage, while the remaining towels in the stack are movedfrom under the top towel by the carriage during its lateral shiftingmovement. When the stack has cleared the top towel, the top towel willfall by gravity downwardly through the casing, and will be positioned soas to be accessible through the opening 6. As soon as the lever 32 isreleased, however, the spring 50 will return the carriage to thefull-line position shown in Fig. 3, so that the ejector bar 23 willoverlie the then :top towel in the stack, and lthe parts will be innormal position, in readiness for actuation as soon as another coin isinserted into slot 31 and the handle 32 again manipulated.

I If desired, the wheels 19 of the carriage may be mounted in roller orotherv anti-friction bearings to facilitate movement of the carriagewhile being shifted and while being returned by spring 50 to normalstarting position. I do not limit my invention to the exact form shownin the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within thescope of the claims.

Iclaim: v l. A towel vending machine comprising a casing having an yopenfront; a front plate closing said open front; said casing having abottom discharge opening in its front at one side thereof; a carriagewithin the casing laterally movable from a normal Yposition above saidopening into a shifted position, said, carriage being adapted to carry astack of towels arranged in superimposed relation; an ejector verticallymovable within the casing adapted to overlie the top towel of "saidVstack and "to prevent said top towel from shifting laterally with saidcarriage, whereby when the carriage is shifted the top towel will dropby gravity opposite said opening; coinactuated mechanism mounted on thefront plate adapted when actuated to shift said carriage; means foryieldably maintaining the carriage in normal position; said coinactuatedmechanism including a manually operated shaft; a sprocket on said shaft;a second shaft journaled at the top of the casing; a second sprocket onsaid second shaft; a chain running around said sprockets; an arm fixedon said second shaft; and'a roller carried by the said arm verticallyconfined between spaced parallel members on said carriage, whereby asthe-arm is swung the carriage will be shifted.

2. A cloth towel vending machine comprising a casing having an openfront; a front plate closing half the width of the open front; saidcasing having a bottom discharge opening in its front at the oppositeside 'thereof from said plate; a door normally closing the opposite halfof the front of the casing above said opening; a carriage within thecasing laterally movable from a normal position behind said door to ashifted positionV behind said plate; said carriage being adapted tocarry a stack of cloth towels arranged in superimposed relation; anejector vertically movable Within the casing adapted to overlie the toptowel of said stack and to prevent said top towel from shiftinglaterally with said carriage, whereby when the carriage is shifted thetop towel will drop by gravity opposite the said opening; coin-actuatedmechanism mounted on the front plate adapted when actuated to shift saidcarriage; means for yieldably maintaining the carriage in normalposition; said coin-actuated mechanism including a manually operatedshaft; a sprocket on said shaft; a second shaft journaled at the top ofthe casing; a second sprocket on said second shaft; a chain runningaround said sprockets; an arm fixed on said second shaft; a rollercarried by the said arm vertically confined between spaced parallelmembers on said carriage, whereby as the arm is swung the carriage willbe shifted; and said maintaining means comprising a spring connectingsaid arm with the casing. Y

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSKindrat et al. Mar. 22, 1927.

